Welcome, December!

Is it just me, or has this year flown like dandelions in the wind? 

I can't believe it's already December. 

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, just the two of us, Keith and I, as our grown kids all go to in-laws that day, except for my son Jeff, who works on holidays. 

I got the Spode out, as you see... and we had mashed potatoes, which we hardly ever do.  We had chicken slices instead of turkey, and guess who forgot to make the Stove Top stuffing? 

Oh, well. 

Blooming on Thanksgiving Day!

Ferdy and the henspa hens had a Happy Thanksgiving, too. 

This beautiful room and it's attendant are at the Vaile Mansion, in Independence, MO.  You may rmember that I treat myself on Black Friday to a tour of the Vaile and of the Bingham-Waggoner mansion, also in Independence. 

The Vaile was featured in this month's copy of Victorian Homes magazine. 

It's so much fun just to walk through and imagine living there.  This mansion was a home, a retirement home, an asylum, and a nursing home... before it was deeded to the city.  

This is in the second floor hallway, looking east.  My gosh. 

The portrait that shocked Independence matrons.... above the Vaile's bed alcove.  Mrs. Vaile had to have a diaphanous covering over the bosom of the female painted because it was the talk of the town. 

The Stairs to the Third Floor. 

Not open for tours.  Was the unfinished ballroom.  I've ALWAYS wanted to see up there!!!!

Now, looking at this... can you believe this was not only an asylum but a nursing home?????

And yes, the housekeeper's rooms, a big bedroom and a parlor, are back there on the right, beyond the doorway.  They are the museum shop now. 

I will have many more pictures to show you over the next few days. 

On Saturday, Keith and I checked out a fairly new place in KCMO... and found it delightful, and very family oriented. 

Pictures of that and the Bingham Waggoner home tomorrow. 

Of all things, the kitchen is my favorite room at the Vaile.  Wouldn't you love to have a kitchen with such big nice windows? 

The kitchens in both big mansions are very small, considering the size of the houses. 

The servants in the Vaile, except for the housekeeper... lived in the basement. 

On Saturday, I went to Garnett to get the Christmas Elf. 

He's seen here helping get the Houdinis back to their pen. 

He carried out all the Thanksgiving-Halloween-Fall boxes to the Derksen building... and carried in all of Christmas.  Some of it has not been seen since 2005.  Really. 

It is currently stacked on the deck, and tomorrow, after I take him to Garnett, I am going to go through it, get the tree up, sort things, and then return the empty bins to the storage building. After Christmas, Chris will come back, and we will store Christmas in the loft of the little Derksen building.  You have to understand that I have always stored things willy-nilly, and in the last two months Chris has sorted things out and our buildings not only look decent, but we know where everything is.  We also found at least 8 empty bins... I think those bins got stacked at Christmas time, and I went out and bought new bins each year!

Not any more. 

Thank you, Chris! 

Just leave that stack of bins on the porch, Maaa Maaaa... we'll take care of it! 

(No, thank you, Kelly!) 

(from the web)